Abstract
Achilles injury risk in women’s collegiate gymnastics is 10-fold higher than in all other collegiate sports. This study aims to identify risk factors for Achilles tendon ruptures in collegiate female gymnasts.Hypothesis:
Factors Associated With Achilles Tendon Rupture in Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics
Gymnasts with Achilles tendon ruptures will be more likely to report early gymnastics specialization, elite-level training before college, and performance of high-difficulty skills on floor and vault. …
I maintain that a major contributor to Achilles ruptures is the tendency to not finish an accelerator element such as a back-handspring or whip to a proper body shape (hollow or slight pike) prior to takeoff for the culminating element of the pass. This is a very typical mistake (rooted in survival instinct) and results in the athlete striking the rebounding surface with their body already shaped into a tight arch. This body shape puts the ankle at a much more extreme position of dorsiflexion and stretches the Gastrocnemius/Soleus complex tremendously. The dishing action of the rebounding surface exacerbates this and helps to activate the myotatic stretch reflex as a protective action causing every recruited motor unit to fire all-or-nothing in a (hard-wired) effort to save the muscle. Often, this reflexive contraction is strong enough to tear the Achilles. This is even more likely when the Achilles is pre-disposed to injury through overuse, inflammation, previous traumatic injury, etc.
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